Recovery plan unveiled for western snowy plover

CARLSBAD -- North County beaches and lagoons would play a key
role in the recovery of the western snowy plover, a rare and tiny
beach bird, under a draft plan unveiled Tuesday by the U.S. Fish
& Wildlife Service.

The bird has been listed by the federal government as a
threatened species since 1993.

A federal official said Tuesday that the proposed strategy for
rejuvenating the Pacific Coast population of the plover probably
would not drastically curtail recreational activities in North
County because measures already are being taken to protect the
bird.

"We do not believe this will have a significant impact that
would warrant hearings down here," said Jane Hendron, a spokeswoman
for the Fish & Wildlife Service in Carlsbad.

Instead, public meetings have been scheduled in California
communities far to the north, and in Oregon and Washington. The
nearest hearing is set for Sept. 18 in Santa Barbara.

Because of human disturbance, predation by ravens and foxes,
invasion of non-native plants such as arundo, and a loss of
breeding and wintering grounds from southern Washington to southern
Baja California in Mexico, plovers' numbers have dwindled to 2,000
in North America.

Hendron said there are about 280 adults remaining in San Diego
County, and as few as 10 in Orange County.

"They have lost a significant portion of their historical
habitat with all of the development," she said.

The draft plan, aiming to boost the population to 3,000 and take
the plover off the list by 2025, calls for monitoring nesting sites
more closely while expanding restrictions on human activities.

Readers can examine the draft Recovery Plan for the Pacific
Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover by going to the
service's Web site at: http://www.r1.fws.gov. Copies of the plan
also may be obtained by contacting the agency's Sacramento office,
2800 Cottage Way, W-2605, Sacramento, CA 95825.

Readers have until Dec. 12 to submit comments, either to the
above address or electronically at: fw1wsprp@fws.gov.

The tiny 5 1/2- to 6 1/2-inch bird that weighs 2 ounces is pale
grayish brown on top and has a white underbelly, with a black bar
across its forehead and dark vertical patches across its
breast.

"It's very small, and its eggs are the color of sand," Hendron
said. "That's all part of its natural camouflage. But if that makes
it harder for predators to see the eggs, it also makes it harder
for humans to see (and avoid) them."

That's why some nesting areas -- including those at the Santa
Margarita River estuary on Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base and the
Agua Hedionda, San Dieguito and Batiquitos lagoons -- are fenced
off to the public or are off-limits to pets and vehicles.

"They don't build nests," she said. "Their nests are tiny little
depressions right in the sand, which makes their nests especially
vulnerable."

The birds also are skittish, she said.

"Things like fireworks, dogs running free without leashes and
off-road vehicles can cause adults to abandon nests and leave the
chicks to die," Hendron said. "And it just so happens that plover
nesting season coincides with the period that people like to go to
the beach."

Plovers lay three eggs at a time, at least once during the
summer breeding season. Females sit on eggs during the day, but
males take over at night.

"They are equal opportunity incubators," Hendron said.

The draft plan targets several habitats in North County for
snowy plover protection: San Onofre Beach, the Santa Margarita
River estuary, the mouth of the San Luis Rey River, South Carlsbad
Beach and beaches along Agua Hedionda, Batiquitos, Los Penasquitos,
San Dieguito and San Elijo lagoons.

But while the plan covers a large territory, only affected
federal agencies are required by law to follow recovery plans,
Hendron said. Private landowners and state agencies are not
obligated to comply.